Medical Device With Data Acquision and Patient Identification Feature

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for collecting patient specific information is presented wherein the collected information further includes a digital image of the patient. The image is used to verify or authenticate the patient.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/428,169 filed Mar. 13, 2015, which corresponds to a PCT application PCT/US10/002705 filed Oct. 7, 2010, which in turn claims priority to U.S. Provisional applications 61/296,746 filed Jan. 20, 2010 and U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 61/278,672 filed Oct. 9, 2009; and is related to U.S. Pat. No. 8,934,636 that also claims priority to U.S. Provisional applications 61/296,746 filed Jan. 20, 2010 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/278,672 filed Oct. 9, 2009; all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

This invention pertains to a medical device that collects medical data from a patient and sends it to a remote location, for data collection, archiving, analyses, etc. Importantly, a digital image is also taken of the patient and this information is incorporated into the transmission to the remote location. The digital image is used to positively identify or confirm the identity of a patient.

2. Description of the Prior Art

At any given time, patients all over the country and, indeed, all over the world undergo various procedures that involve collection of information at various levels. These procedures range from non-invasive or low invasive procedures consisting of obtaining some diagnostic information of the patient by scanning or other data acquisition means, to full blown procedures with one or more incisions through which various instruments, possible including video cameras and other imaging devices. The various data is collected, optionally, processed, and stored locally and/or remotely. Of course, in most instances, the acquired data must be associated in some manner to the patient. And so, usually during a preparation stage, the name, data of birth, social security number, health insurance ID, and/or other personal information is collected, usually manually.

However, it is believed that even with all the precautions discussed above, mistakes in identifying patients or in associating properly patient information with the actual patient are still being made. Of course, such mistakes can be disastrous, especially for patients. For example, often the only way to check whether a particular human organ is cancerous is by taking a biopsy. Biopsies are frequently difficult to perform, can be quite painful and can result in infections and other complications. If the tissue samples obtained from biopsies or the analysis of such tissues are lost, the only way to make a diagnosis of the questionable tissue is to redo the whole dangerous procedure again!

Thus there is a need for an easy yet reliable means of insuring that data acquired from a patient or even tissue samples are properly associated with the correct patient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

During a patient encounter, patient information related to the patient's health is collected while a patient is undergoing a predetermined procedure. During the encounter, an image of the patient's face is taken. The patient information acquired during the procedure and the image of the patient are combined in a single digital message that is then transmitted to a remote location. The digital message is eventually reviewed by a primary care person, such as a physician, at which time the patient information, and more specifically the identity of the patient is verified by looking at his digital image.

The digital camera may be incorporated into the data acquisition device, or in the device used to perform a procedure. For example, the procedure could be an MIR or CAT scan and the camera can be incorporated into these type of device. The data acquisition module and the camera could also be part of another procedure such as a surgical device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a somewhat diagrammatic view of a patient being tested with a large device such as an MIR incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the elements of a digital message being transmitted by the device of FIG. 1 to a remote location;

FIG. 3 shows a somewhat diagrammatic view of a patient getting an ophtamologic examination with a device incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a somewhat diagrammatic view of a surgical device incorporating the present invention and being used to perform a procedure, such as obtaining a biopsy, from a patient; and

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a medical device incorporating the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is implemented in a variety of different configurations, with a variety of primary instruments and environments, as described below.

For example, FIG. 1 illustrates diagrammatically a large-scale installation for acquiring MIR, CAT images or other similar types of installation. Typically, the installation 10 includes a large structure 12 having an opening 14 for receiving a patient P1. Typically, the patient P1 is disposed on a conveyor mechanism 16 that can selectively translate the patient P1 into or out of the cavity 14, as indicated by arrow A.

Typically, the installation 10 includes a wave generator 18 generating waves having predetermined characteristics. The waves impinge, pass through or otherwise interact with the body of patient P1 and a sensor assembly 20 is used to sense some information (for example some image) associated with or descriptive of a body organ of interest. The information from the sensor assembly 20 is collected by a data acquisition module 22 which, optionally analyzes it or otherwise processes it. The resulting patient data is then sent off either directly, e.g., via a standard communication channel 24, or indirectly (e.g., via a physical data storage device, such as a DVD, etc.) to a central server (not shown in FIG. 1). It should be understood that the configuration of installation 10 is provided purely symbolically to provide a general understanding of the invention, and the various elements shown can have very different positions, shapes, sizes, configurations, and operation, depending on the waves being used and actual type of information being sought.

Importantly, according to this invention, the installation further includes a standard digital camera 26. During the process of obtaining the patient data, (e.g. when the patient is translated into cavity 14, the camera 26 takes a shot of the face of the patient P1 and generates a corresponding patient image (e.g., an image of the patient P1′s face). This patient image is also collected by the data acquisition module 22. The data acquisition module 22 then generates a digital message 30. As shown in FIG. 2, this message 30 includes several components, such as a header 32 with various data used to identify the apparatus 10 and other relevant information, the patient image 33, the patient data 34, and, optionally other data 36, such as the date of the respective event, the attending personnel, observations by the attending personnel, settings of the system 10, etc.

FIG. 3 shows a much smaller installation 40, used, for example, to obtain a scan of a patient P2′s eye, teeth, etc. The installation 40 includes an instrument 42 (for example, a hand held ultrasonic ophthalmic scanner), a digital camera 44 and a data acquisition module 46. The instrument 42 is used in a conventional manner to scan a particular organ of the patient P2, as discussed above. The sensed signals are provided to the data acquisition module 46 which processes the signals as necessary to generate patient data.

Before, during or at the end of the procedure being performed by the instrument 42, digital camera 44 is activated (manually or automatically) to obtain of a patient image of the patient's face. The patient data is then combined with the patient image to generate a combined message as described above and depicted in FIG. 2. The message 30 is then transmitted directly or indirectly as discussed above. Camera 44 is shown as being distinct and separate from the instrument 42 or data acquisition module 46 however it could incorporated into either, or three modules could be incorporated into a single, common housing.

FIG. 4 shows a system 50 for performing a surgical procedure on a patient P3. The system can be used in an OR, a hospital room, a private doctor's office, etc. The term “surgical procedure” is used herein to cover any procedure that is performed either externally, or internally, and may include minimally invasive processes, such as scanning an internal or external organ (e.g., a colonoscopy), or processes that involve data collection and a physical intervention on a patient's tissue, such as taking a biopsy, performing an ablation of some tissues, etc. The system includes a surgical instrument 52 for performing the above-described procedure, a camera 54, a data acquisition module 54A.

The instrument 52 is used to perform the described procedure and information collected during the procedure (e.g. images from the scanning, etc.). Before, during, or after the procedure, a digital image of the face of patient P3 is obtained by camera 54. The data acquisition module 54A collects the data and the digital image and generates message 40 which is then sent via communication channel 56 (or an indirect means as discussed above) to a data server 60.

It should be noted that in the various embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the various elements of the respective systems are shown as discrete elements, it being understood that the invention may be implemented by incorporating two or three of the elements into a single unit.

In one embodiment, the instruments 12, 42, 52 and the cameras 26, 44, 54 operate independently and the data from each can be fed to the respective data acquisition module. In another embodiment, instructions or prompts are generated to the user requesting the user to operate the respective camera and take a picture of the respective patient. For example, the installation 10 can include a screen 28 on which instructions and information is provided to a user. These instructions may include a request that the user use camera 26 to take patient P1′s picture. The installation 10 can be configured with a lockout feature that does not permit further operation until either an image is received from the camera 26, or some other signal is received from the camera indicating at least that some picture was taken. Alternatively, the respective instruments may be adapted to trigger the respective cameras automatically once a user orients or aims the cameras at the patient. The same or similar criteria may be used for all the other instruments.

The advantages of the invention shall now be described in conjunction with the FIG. 5. In this Figure, a PC 62 is used by a medical practitioner, such as, for example one of the patients' P1, P2, P3 primary physician. (Here, the PC is to be interpreted to be generically as any device that can be used to access patient data bases though appropriate protocols, including desk tops, laptops, tablets, smart phones etc.) The primary physician activates the PC 62 and is presented with a GUI (Graphic User Interface) 64 that acts as a portal to provide access to a various information, including a patient database 66 and the data server 60 containing the messages 30. Alternatively the server 60 downloads the messages directly to the patient data base 66. Either way, the primary care physician receives by conventional means an indication that there was an encounter with a particular patient and that a message 30 is available with data collected as a result of this encounter and provided in the patient data field 34. When the physician accesses the messages, he is given the opportunity to view the patient data on the PC 62. Importantly, the physician is also presented with an image of the patient that has been inserted into message 30. The physician then looks at the image and immediately recognizes if it is an image 33 of his patient. If the image is not of his patient, then he knows that the patient information 34 is erroneous and he must either discard it or take steps to associate it with the right patient.

Moreover, even if the physician does not recognize the patient, because he has too many patients, or because he is not the primary care physician and has never met the patient in person, the image 33 could still be very valuable. Typically, demographic data is gathered for each patient and this demographic data can be incorporated into the patient data base 66. Then, when the physician (or other health care provider) accesses the data base 66 and obtains the data for a particular patient, he is presented with a demographic listing, for example, indicating that the respective patient is a sixty year old black male. If he then looks at the image 33 and sees what seems like a 40 year old oriental female, he knows that somewhere along the line the data has been corrupted, voluntarily or not, and notify the appropriate authorities.

The invention has been described as including a camera taking a single image of a patient and using this image as a means of identifying the patient. Of course, instead of a single image, the camera may take a video clip of several consecutive images of the images, with or without voice, and the clip could incorporated in the message as described above.

Numerous modifications may be made to the invention without departing from its scope as defined the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. A patient for collecting patient specific comprising: a data acquisition module arranged and constructed to collect patient information during a particular encounter with the patient; and a camera adapted to obtain an image of the patient's face; wherein said data acquisition module is adapted to combine the patient information obtained during the patient encounter with said digital image to generate a digital message, said digital message being transmitted to a remote location.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said digital message is sent to a server for storage.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an MRI device, said data acquisition module receiving information from said MRI.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said data acquisition module is incorporated in an ophthalmic instrument obtaining ophthalmic readings of a patient.
 5. The apparatus of claim1 further comprising a surgical instrument arranged and constructed to perform a surgical procedure on a patient, and said data acquisition module being arranged to collect patient information during said surgical procedure.
 6. A method of collecting patient specific information from a patient during a patient encounter, said method comprising the steps of: placing the patient and a data acquisition module in proximity to each other; activating said data acquisition module to obtain patient information from the patient while the patient is in close proximity to the dta acquisition module; obtaining a digital image of the patient's face; combining the digital image with the patient information to form a digital message and transmitting the digital messate to a remote location.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said the camera obtains said digital image during said encounter just prior to the activation of said data acquisition module.
 8. The method of claim 6 wherein said camera obtains said digital image while said data acquisition module is collecting patient information.
 9. The method of claim 6 wherein said camera obtains said digital image after said data acquisition module collects said patient information.
 10. The method of claim 6 wherein the patient is introduced in an MIR device and said patient information is collected with said patient being in said MIR device.
 11. The method of claim 6 wherein said patient is subjected to surgery and data aquisition module collects patient specific information during said surgery.
 12. The method of claim 6 further comprising using ophthalmic devices for collecting patient information. 